1.Place all the ingredients for the fruit mix in a large saucepan, bring to boil and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 160C / Gas 3

3. Add the cherries and nuts stir through and then add eggs and mix well, add the flour and fold through the mix.

4. Place the mixture in a greased and floured 8' - deep cake tin. Tie some greaseproof paper around the outside of the tin so that the paper comes over the edges of the tin or optionally place over the top about half way through baking. Bake for 2 hours but check after 1.5 hours, check to see if cooked thoroughly with a skewer. If not fully baked, bake a little further until the skewer comes out clean from the cake.

5. Allow to cool and either decorate with marzipan and royal icing, or dried apricots and cherries and glaze with melted apricot jam or plain is very nice too.